CARNEGIE SCIENCE CENTER DEBUTS SOLAR QUEST PLANETARIUM SHOW

SHOW FEATURES REAL IMAGES FROM NASA’S SOLAR DYNAMICS OBSERVATORY PITTSBURGH, March 2, 2015 ― A new planetarium show at Carnegie Science Center whisks viewers into space as it explains the relationship between the Earth and the Sun, our neighborhood star. “Solar Quest” is now open for school groups visiting the Science Center’s digital high-definition Buhl Planetarium, and the show will be available for general admission visitors this spring. The show, produced by Buhl Planetarium staff, begins with a question-and-answer session, teaching facts about fusion, sun spots, solar flares, and auroras. With spectacular and crisp imagery, those topics come to life during the full-dome show. "Solar Quest" features the role of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and how scientists are using it as a way to help identify and predict severe space weather. Actual videos of the Sun from SDO are used, showing the audience the large amount of energy being released. The full-dome planetarium show was funded through a grant from NASA's Heliophysics Division. The NASA grant of $764,000 funded all Solar Quest programming – the planetarium show and a Science on the Road assembly show, called Solar Quest: Living With Our Star. The planetarium show can go on the road, too, with the Science Center’s portable planetarium. A condensed version of the Solar Quest planetarium show has been distributed internationally to 58 museums, 30 universities, 13 high schools, and 36 portable planetariums. For more information about Solar Quest, visit CarnegieScienceCenter.org. About Carnegie Science Center Carnegie Science Center is dedicated to inspiring learning and curiosity by connecting science and technology with everyday life. By making science both relevant and fun, the Science Center’s goal is to increase science literacy in the region and motivate young people to seek careers in science and technology. One of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, the Science Center is Pittsburgh’s premier science exploration destination, reaching more than 700,000 people annually through its hands-on exhibits, camps, classes, and off-site education programs. About Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1895, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh is a collection of four distinctive museums dedicated to exploration through art and science: Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Science Center, and The Andy Warhol Museum. Annually, the museums reach more than 1.2 million people through exhibitions, educational programs, outreach activities, and special events. ###